About us

love on the Rialto in Venice

Hi there!

We are Shane and Estelle the couple behind The Shane and Stella Story. Shane’s a banker who loves football, cricket and pretty much any sport with a ball. Stella’s an event manager who loves reading, film and art and all in all is pretty ambivalent toward any sport with a ball. Luckily for us – we both love travel! Our travel obsession started with our first trip together back in 2012 when we spent 3 hectic weeks cramming as much as possible into exploring Europe. Ever since then we’ve had an epic case of wanderlust and try to explore a new destination every 12-18 months.

Up until now we’ve tried to balance out our need for travel with making sensible life choices, so after our Europe trip we came home and did some normal stuff like buy a house (Shane is sensible like that, Stella not so much). Still, it didn’t take long for that itchy feet feeling to kick in again. But instead Shane dropped down on one knee, so our travel plans went on hold while we started to plan a wedding. As it turns wedding planning is kind of blah and Stella is possibly the only event manager on earth who couldn’t be bothered organising her own wedding. We came up with the perfect solution and decided to disappoint our parents and elope!

viva las vegas

In 2013 we got hitched in Vegas and spent our wedding $ on 6 weeks travelling the US instead of flowers and dresses- BEST IDEA EVER!

We came home and bought another house (see- Shane is sensible) and got down to married life. 18 loooooong months of sensible life choices went by before we finally decide to escape the Aussie winter with an impromptu relaxing getaway to Hawaii in 2015.

Fast forward to 2016, and we both turn 30. FREAK OUT! ‘OMG, we’re actual meant to be adulting now’- but instead of adulting we rebel and decide this trip every 12-18months biz is not for us. We want to wander without a deadline, take our time and really get to know a place and the people who live in it instead of doing the condensed tourist version and then having to pack and get on another plane. BOOM! We had a plan- we decide to quit our 9-5 lives and get out there and experience everything this world has to offer.

It’s been 12 months of planning and organising that honestly at times has felt daunting, but we constantly remind each other that we don’t want to wake up in 30 years and say ‘I regret not taking a chance and going on that adventure with you’. No regrets, just experiences!

And so we hope that our story will inspire you to take chances and go for your dreams. Whether it be travel or otherwise, especially if it’s daunting and seems impossible in the beginning.

Our plan so far is 12 months travelling (or as long as our $ lasts!). We’re planning to hit up South East Asia, taking in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam before making our way to Europe and from there who knows! – We don’t know for sure where we’re going but darling that’s half the fun!